Improved machine for washing leather



July 24, 19116 DRAWING.

A careful search has been made this day for tha original drawing 01' aphotolithographic copy of the same, for the purpose of reproducing thesaid drawing to form a.

part of this book, but at this time nothing can be found from which areproduction can be maniaa Finis D. Morris,

Chief of Division E,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC SIPES, OF BOSTON, NEW YORK.

IMPROVED MACHINE FOR WASHING LEATHER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 5 L487, dated December12, 1865.

reference being had to the accompanying draw-,-

ings, forming part of this specification, 'in which- Figure 1 is atransverse vertical section of the machine taken in the plane of theline as at, Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same with the cover removed to showthe internal arran gement.

' Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

The object of my invention is to produce a machine for washing leather,after the same has been tanned, whereby the operation can be donein amore expeditious and thorough and less expensive manner than at presentprac Liced.

My invention consists in the employment or use of two or more shafts,carrying a number of brooms or equivalents thereof, to which a rotarymotion is to be given in any suitable way, and supplied with water inany proper manner, between which brooms the leather passes, whereby itis effectually washed.

To enable others to understand my invention, I will proceed to describeit.

A A designate the longitudinal and transverse beams of the frame of themachine, which frame may be of any suitable construction, shape, orsize. Upon this frame two shafts, B B, are mounted, which have theirbearings in the beams A of the frame. Each shaft carries a'gear-wheel, CC, which wheels mesh with each other, and are arranged to revolve towardeach other so as to cause the shaft B B to rotate in like manner, andmotion is imparted to either one or both in any suitable way. A pulley,a, for receiving a belt is shown in Fig. 2, but hand-power can be usedif desired.

D D are a series of brooms or brushes, which are arranged along theshafts B B, and secured thereto in such a position that those on the oneshaft can pass by those on the other without impeding the motion of theshafts.

E E represent the covers to the machine, which are placed upon theframe, as shown in Figfl. The opening between them is about ill lllhalf-way between the two shafts, and at the edge of one a roller, 1), issecured, over which the hides are fed to the brushes after being spreadout flat upon the cover, as shown in red in Fig. 1. So soon as theleather reaches the brushes they will, of their own accord, draw it downbetween them, and after operating upon it deposit in the tank over whichthe machine is placed.

F F are pipes through which ,water is carried to the brooms, the pipes Fbeing parallel with the shafts B, and these are perforated so that thewater will jet out upon the brooms in the desired quantity; and thepipes F are for carrying the water to the opposite side to where thepump is placed.

I have shown a pump, G, located near one corner of the machine andworked by a rock shaft, 0, which receives its motion from one of thecog-wheels, O, and thus it will be seen that the supply of water is keptup accordingly as the machine operates, and in the desired quantitv. l

It may be admissible here to remark that I have a machine of the abovedescription now in operation, and that by its use two men can wash twohundred sides per hour perfectly clean, without injuring the grain orreducing the weight of the leather, and that by its use only one vatneeds to be used, whereas by the old method two men can wash only twohundred and fifty sides per day, and in doing this a great deal of hardlabor is necessary, and several vats are disturbed in order to do it.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patcut- 1. The employment or use of two or more shafts, B B,carrying anumber of brushes,D, or their equivalents, and rotated bysuitable gearing, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The pipes F F, in combination with the brushes D, arranged so as tosupply the same with water, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

3. The covers E E and roller 1), in combination with the shafts B,brushes D, arranged substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of the frame A A, shafts B, gearwvheels O, brushes D,combined and arranged as shown and described.

- ISAAC SIPES. Witnesses:

D. O. DYER, MARK WHITING.

